


Pieces

by silver_etoile



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: 5 Times, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Jealousy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 06:51:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18383201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_etoile/pseuds/silver_etoile
Summary: Lucas doesn't mean to say Eliott is his boyfriend, especially when he's never even talked to the guy, but it was the only way to get rid of Chloe, and Eliott, well, he doesn't seem to mind.





	Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://azozzoni.tumblr.com).

**I.**

Music throbbed around Lucas, bouncing off the walls, bleeding into his ears as he took a swig of his beer and scanned the room. Yann was hitting on some girl and Basile was trying in vain to dance with a group of hot girls who barely glanced his way.

“That girl’s been staring at you all night,” Arthur said from beside Lucas, nodding across the room at a girl with dark brown hair, and Lucas looked away.

“She’s been hanging around for weeks. You haven’t noticed?” She’d introduced herself last week: Chloé. She was a year younger and she hadn’t seemed to get the hint that Lucas wasn’t interested.

“Why haven’t you done something about it?” Arthur asked, elbowing Lucas in the side. Lucas ducked out of his way, frowning at Chloé and her eyes on him across the room.

Arthur wouldn’t get it if he said he wasn’t interested in her. She was pretty enough with long hair and deep brown eyes, naively sweet in a way that grated on him whenever she spoke. He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but he knew he didn’t want to date her no matter how much she _accidentally_ brushed against him, laid her hand on his arm when she laughed at things he said that weren’t even funny.

“I’m gonna get another drink,” he said instead of answering Arthur, shaking his bottle as if to prove he was telling the truth.

In the kitchen, he maneuvered around the couple making out against the counter, pulling open the fridge and staring inside. He didn’t really want another beer. He wanted to go home and spend the rest of the night watching Netflix on his laptop instead of fending off advances from Chloé.

“There you are!” Her voice behind him made him stiffen, praying for a miracle as he turned around to find Chloé standing in the kitchen. “You’ve been hard to get a hold of tonight.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, looking around for an escape route, but she was blocking the doorway, and he could just see people dancing over her shoulder. None of his friends would come to his rescue anyway. They were all convinced he should hook up with any pretty girl who offered.

“Do you want to dance?” she asked, stepping toward him, and Lucas hesitated. “I bet you’re a great dancer.”

“Not really,” he said quickly, hitting the counter as he stepped back, away from her. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that made him so nervous, and not in a good way. He definitely didn’t want to dance with her, and she didn’t seem to be getting the hint. “I’m really bad.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” she said, shaking her head, batting her eyelashes at him, and Lucas looked over her shoulder again, hoping some excuse would present itself to get away from the way she stood before him, expectant.

The only people beyond the doorway were people he didn’t know. He caught sight of one guy, the new guy—Eliott, he thought his name was. They hadn’t officially met, but Lucas had seen him in the foyer, talking with Imane. Eliott was bouncing with the music, completely useless for Lucas’ situation.

“It is,” he assured her. “I’m terrible. You wouldn’t want to dance with me.”

“We don’t have to dance,” she offered easily, almost shy, and _oh fuck_. 

Lucas’ eyes widened. “We can’t do anything,” he said, the words spilling from his mouth, and he’d never been good at this, at letting people down easy. He’d never had to before, and her eyebrows contracted in confusion.

“Why not?” she asked. “Don’t you like me? Am I not pretty enough?”

There were only two answers to that question and one would crush her. The other would dig Lucas a much deeper hole.

Standing there, his brain worked overtime to come up with an answer, the right answer, to her question. He wasn’t sure there was a way to do it without her getting upset, and the last thing he wanted to deal with was an upset girl.

“I,” he said slowly as she stared at him, waiting for his answer. His gaze was caught by Eliott behind her, wiping the sweat off his brow and heading for the kitchen. An idea sparked as Eliott came closer, a foolproof solution. “I’m seeing someone.”

Chloé blinked, opening her mouth slowly. “What? Who?”

Eliott stepped past her into the kitchen, heading for the fridge, and Lucas grabbed his arm. Eliott looked surprised as Lucas turned him around, but he didn’t jerk his arm away.

“Have you met Eliott?” Lucas asked, ignoring the way Eliott stared at him, praying he could pull this off, that Chloé would believe him. “We’re kind of dating. It’s new.”

Chloé’s expression flickered between confused and annoyed, looking Eliott up and down. Lucas’ hand was still tight over Eliott’s arm, and he could feel Eliott watching him.

They hadn’t even spoken properly, him and Eliott. He was pretty sure Eliott had no idea who he was, so he was surprised when Eliott flashed Chloé a smile.

“Thanks for keeping my boyfriend company,” Eliott said, and Lucas tried not to look caught off-guard, especially when Eliott slid an arm around his shoulders. “He tends to wander off at parties.”

For a minute, Chloé didn’t say anything, as though she couldn’t process what was going on.

“You’re… gay,” she said finally, and Lucas felt himself nod. It wasn’t a total lie. Just a few weeks ago, he’d admitted to Yann that he thought he might like guys. But he hadn’t intended to act on those thoughts, especially not in high school. So much for that. “I have to go,” she said abruptly, turning on her heel and stalking out of the kitchen.

Letting out a breath, Lucas rubbed his forehead. He felt Eliott’s arm slide from his shoulders, and fuck, he had to explain this somehow.

“Sorry,” he said, turning to Eliott finally. He hadn’t realized how tall Eliott was until now, standing right in front of him. “I didn’t mean to do that to you. I just didn’t want to hurt her feelings.” He saw the flicker of Eliott’s smile. “Someone said you were bi and, I don’t know. It was the only thing I could think of.”

He wondered if he should have said that, that rumor he’d heard floating around the halls about Eliott, but Eliott didn’t seem bothered, tilting his head to the side.

“It’s cool,” he said, shrugging, long and lanky, and Lucas nodded.

“I’m Lucas, by the way,” he said after a second, glancing up at Eliott, his bright blue eyes, the way they crinkled at the edges when he grinned.

“I should know my boyfriend’s name, huh?” Eliott replied, and Lucas felt himself relax at the joke. It had been a stupid thing to say, but at the time, it had been the only thing he’d thought.

“Don’t worry,” Lucas said, pulling two beers out of the fridge and handing one to Eliott. “I’m not going to make you actually date me.”

Eliott made a face. “Too bad. I was looking forward to being a beard.”

Lucas laughed at that, cracking open the beer on the counter and taking a sip. He didn’t stop himself from glancing at Eliott beside him, though, as they stood in the kitchen. At least Chloé was off his back and Eliott didn’t seem upset about being used to cover his ass. It was more than he could ask for tonight.

 

**II.**

Whispers. That was what Lucas heard all day—in hallways, around corners, behind him in class, in the courtyard. Whispers that included his name in snippets of conversations, giggles, eyes darting towards him as he passed.

Hiking his bag up, Lucas headed for the foyer, dropping onto the couch and pulling out his phone as he waited for the guys to join him. He didn’t want to know what the whispers were, what rumor had started now that somehow involved him.

Daphné bounced up to him, a bright smile on her face. “Hi, Lucas! How are you doing?”

“Fine,” he said slowly. He and Daphné didn’t usually have much to talk about aside from when they were going to get rid of that ugly mural on the wall.

“Good,” she said, beaming at him, and he frowned. It wasn’t unusual that she was overly perky, but this seemed stranger than usual. “That’s good.”

Lucas didn’t know what to say, glancing at Emma behind her, who arched her eyebrows like he was supposed to know why Daphné was being odd. He had no idea.

He was glad when he caught sight of Yann at the door, and he flashed a smile at Daphné. “Yann’s here, so…”

“Oh, right,” she said easily, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

“Okay,” he said slowly, glad when she left and Yann flopped down beside him. “Hey.”

Yann didn’t reply right away, and Lucas glanced at him, at the way Yann’s lips pressed together, as though there was something he wanted to say but he wasn’t saying it.

It took a minute, a minute of Yann shifting back onto the couch, exhaling a breath like he’d been holding it in, and it didn’t reassure Lucas. Had something happened?

“So,” Yann said, keeping his voice quiet even though there weren’t many people in the foyer. Daphné had retreated to Emma and Alexia at the table and seemed to be in deep conversation. “Last time we talked, you said you thought you might be into guys.”

Frowning, Lucas wasn’t sure why Yann was bringing it up. Lucas hadn’t mentioned anything about the stupid crush he’d had on Yann. That was long over.

“Yeah,” he said, confused. Was Yann changing his mind? Had he suddenly decided being gay was wrong? Lucas felt a clench in his chest at the thought. It had been hard enough to come out even that much to his best friend without the fear that he could lose him after the fact.

“A boyfriend seems a little more than just curious,” Yann said, and Lucas opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped as Chloé entered the room. She shot him a look but didn’t talk to him.

“Boyfriend,” he said slowly, thinking back to the whispers that had been following him all day.

“I kind of thought I’d be the first to know,” Yann admitted. “But it’s great, dude. I’m happy for you.”

Eliott, Lucas thought. The party. Chloé. It all made sense now, why everyone was whispering. Of course that rumor had spread like wildfire.

He should have told Yann the truth, told him it was just to get Chloé off his back, but she was right there, not ten feet away and probably listening in to their conversation. So he nodded slowly.

“Sorry,” he said. “I should have told you. It’s really new is all.”

“I get it,” Yann assured him, clapping him on the shoulder. “And the boys are excited for you. Arthur and Basile. Basile already says he wants to go to a gay bar.”

Lucas would have laughed if his stomach hadn’t sunk at the realization that everyone knew. It wasn’t even real, not even a real boyfriend, and he was out.

“Great,” he said, but his mind wasn’t on Basile. Instead, he was thinking of Eliott and the fact that Eliott had no idea they were apparently dating. What if Eliott told someone they weren’t? Chloé would find out. Yann would find out he’d lied. 

He was in trouble.

Pushing himself up from the couch, he grabbed his bag from the floor. “I forgot about some homework I need to do,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”

Yann didn’t reply as Lucas left the foyer, pausing as he stood in the hallway. He didn’t even know where Eliott would be. He didn’t even know what department he was in. All he knew was that Eliott was friends with Imane.

Setting off down the hall, Lucas found Imane exactly where he thought she would be, sitting with Manon in the library.

“Hey, Imane,” he greeted her and she cast a suspicious glance at him.

“I’m not helping you with the biology paper.”

Rolling his eyes, Lucas didn’t bother responding to that. He didn’t need help with his essay, thank you very much. “I was wondering if you knew where I could find Eliott.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Eliott,” she said, exchanging a glance with Manon. “Why?”

“I need to ask him something,” Lucas said, though he was sure she’d heard the rumors if the way she smiled was any indication, as though amused by him.

She leaned forward as though she was going to share a secret, so Lucas did too.

“He’s right over there,” she said instead, pointing through the bookshelves, and Lucas wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or not. He just felt nervous as he hiked his bag up and straightened up.

“Oh. Thanks,” he said instead, leaving her and Manon behind and stepping purposefully away from them. He didn’t hesitate until they were hidden from view and he could see Eliott sitting at a table, notebook open as he scribbled down something.

He had no idea what he was supposed to say. He was the one that had gotten himself into this mess, and now he was dragging Eliott along, a guy he barely knew.

“Salut,” he greeted Eliott after a second, stepping out from behind the row of books, watching Eliott’s head pop up, looking surprised to see him, but he smiled anyway.

“There’s my boyfriend,” Eliott said, clearly a joke as he laughed, and Lucas didn’t.

“I kind of wanted to talk to you about that,” he said, watching Eliott’s face, the flicker of a question there.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Eliott asked, completely serious, and Lucas knew he shouldn’t smile, but he did anyway.

Sliding into the extra chair, he set his elbows on the table, glancing around to make sure there was no one lurking behind the shelves. Eliott watched him curiously, eyebrows furrowed. This wasn’t how Lucas had imagined his day going when he’d showed up this morning, but he supposed it could be worse. It could have been someone who wasn’t Eliott, who didn’t find it all very amusing.

“Actually, I…” Lucas said slowly, pausing as he realized what he was about to say, how insane it would sound, like some terrible American teen movie. Eliott watched him, not interrupting, and Lucas swallowed. “I need to ask you a favor.”

Eliott’s eyebrows went up, and Lucas was reminded again how little they knew about each other. Eliott had only come to school a month or two ago, and Lucas had never talked to him before last weekend. The closest he’d gotten to noticing Eliott was to take just a second to appreciate how good-looking he was before jerking himself back to reality, back into the closet.

All that was over now, since apparently the whole school knew about his little lie he’d told Chloé. Even Yann believed it. He was in deep shit, and he needed Eliott to keep everything from blowing up in his face.

“A favor,” Eliott repeated, setting down his pen in the spine of his notebook. “What kind of favor?”

“It’s nothing,” Lucas said easily, though he did lower his voice for what he said next. “Apparently everyone thinks we’re dating now, and I kind of need them to keep thinking it.”

“Why?” Eliott asked, eyes bright and resting on Lucas across the table. It made Lucas nervous for some reason, and he looked away. “Didn’t the girl believe it?”

“Yeah,” Lucas admitted. “But now everyone knows, so if we don’t date or at least say we are, she’ll find out I lied.”

“Right,” Eliott said after a second, nodding slowly. “And you don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

Frowning, Lucas sighed at the table. “I’m just not into her.”

“Can’t you tell her that?”

“I can’t tell her I think she’s annoying and clingy.” He shrugged. “And if we fake-break up, she’ll just try again.”

Eliott laughed. “You told her you were gay. Unless you’re not?”

“I…” Lucas hesitated. It wasn’t as though it mattered. The whole school thought he was already. What was the point in hiding it? “I’m not sure. Sometimes I think about it, but it’s not like I’ve ever kissed a guy.”

“Well, I have,” Eliott said, and Lucas’ eyes snapped to his. “It’s pretty much the same as kissing a girl.”

Lucas wasn’t sure he was supposed to find that funny or not, and he shook his head. Instead, he inclined over the table carefully, lowering his voice.

“I know it’s a weird thing to ask since we don’t actually know each other,” he said quietly, listening to the shuffling of books a few rows over. “But if anyone asks, could you just…”

Eliott’s gaze felt intense as Lucas trailed off, and he wondered if this was all a terrible idea. He should just come clean and be the asshole who lied.

“If anyone asks,” Eliott said finally, leaning closer to Lucas, and Lucas could see every eyelash, the creases on his lips, the shadow on his jaw. “I’ll tell them I’m dating the cute boy from S.”

Lucas felt only relief as he sat back, and Eliott smiled at him, easy, as if they’d known each other far longer than a couple days. It wasn’t until he’d left Eliott in the library with the promise to keep their secret that he wondered how Eliott had known he was a Science student.

 

**III.**

“Are we ever going to meet the infamous boyfriend?” Arthur asked over the foosball table, scoring a goal on Lucas and Basile easily. “Or is he some big secret?”

The whispers had stopped but the looks hadn’t, and as much as Lucas tried to ignore it, it only served to make him more aware of the lie he was telling. It didn’t help that he was lying to his friends as he laughed at Arthur.

“He’s not a secret,” he said, though pretending to date someone was a whole lot more involved than he’d suspected. Since he and Eliott had come to their agreement, they hadn’t done much together, and Lucas had hoped it could stay that way. Just long enough until Chloé would forget and they could ‘end’ things and go back to normal.

“Yeah, I want to meet him,” Basile piped up from beside him. “Maybe we could all go out!”

“We’re not letting you anywhere near a gay club,” Arthur said firmly, and Lucas was grateful. He didn’t think he was ready for that. As it was, he was dealing with the whole coming out thing without even having a real boyfriend.

Basile’s face fell, and Lucas shook his head.

“Hey, guys!” Daphné appeared behind them. “Are you going to Alex’s party? Emma said practically the whole school is coming.

Lucas opened his mouth to say no. Considering what had happened at the last party, he didn’t need to go to any more, but Basile was quicker.

“Yeah, yeah! Of course,” he said eagerly, like a puppy drooling at her feet. Behind him, Arthur met Lucas’ eyes and he had to smother his laughter behind his hand as Daphné looked at him.

“Great!” she said brightly. “It sounds like it’s going to be awesome.”

Basile nodded as she left, sighing once she was out of earshot. “Did you see that? She invited me to a party!”

“She asked if we were all going,” Lucas pointed out, but it didn’t dampen Basile’s spirits, and he turned back to the foosball table. “What’s the score?”

“You’re losing,” Arthur said smugly, and Lucas rolled his eyes.

“Give me the ball,” he said, plucking it from Arthur’s fingers when he handed it over. He didn’t care about some party, and he had no intention of going just so he could stand around while Basile tried to hit on girls and he was left to watch.

*

“Hey, babe.”

Lucas’ head shot up as he stepped out of his classroom, eyes falling on Eliott’s smile, and it took him a second to remember that he wasn’t supposed to be surprised.

“Hi,” he replied, stepping out of the flow of students and over to Eliott. He blinked, unsure what to say as Eliott reached for his shirt, tugging him further down the hall. He could tell Eliott was watching the students that passed them, as though this was all for show, and that thought made Lucas feel better. He wasn’t sure why he’d been nervous in the first place.

He couldn’t ask what Eliott was doing waiting for him outside his class, how Eliott even knew what class he was in, not with people passing them by.

“So should I pick you up?” Eliott asked, and Lucas frowned, wracking his brain to figure out what he meant.

“For what?”

“Saturday,” Eliott replied simply, and his fingers were still twined in Lucas’ hoodie, holding him close, and Lucas swallowed down the sudden butterflies in his stomach. “Alex’s party. Supposed to be the biggest one of the year.”

“I’m not going to that,” Lucas said before he thought about it, catching Eliott’s eyebrow raise.

“You’re going,” Eliott said, as though he’d decided for him, and Lucas frowned. 

“Why?”

“Because I’m going,” he said, “and I would never go to a party without my boyfriend.”

 _Oh._ Lucas understood now, and he nodded slowly. He really was terrible at this fake-dating thing. He hadn’t even considered that people would expect him to bring Eliott. Of course they would. People who were dating went to parties together.

“Right,” he said after a second, and Eliott grinned at him.

“Right,” he echoed, releasing Lucas’ shirt finally and smoothing it down. Lucas watched his hands, distracted for a second as he reminded himself it was all for show. “So, Saturday?”

“I’ll meet you there,” Lucas said, and Eliott nodded, flashing him a smile.

“Can’t wait.”

Then Eliott kissed his cheek, unexpectedly, and Lucas couldn’t help staring after him as he disappeared down the hall. That hadn’t been planned. They’d never discussed anything beyond the simple lie that they were dating, and Lucas wasn’t sure what to do.

As he turned, though, he caught sight of Chloé behind him, skirting around a corner, and he raised a hand to his cheek. Eliott was good, he admitted, smiling to himself and heading for class as the bell rang.

*

“Tell me one thing I need to know about you,” Eliott said, standing close so he didn’t have to shout over the music. Daphné hadn’t been lying. It felt as though the entire school was there, though Lucas hadn’t seen Yann or his other friends yet, and he knew it was a matter of time before he had to introduce them to Eliott. The thought made him nervous, and not just because it was a big lie.

Lights flashed around the room—green and blue and red, and Lucas glanced down at his half-empty glass. “I live in a flat share with Manon and two other roommates,” he said. “They can be annoying.”

Eliott smiled, and Lucas knew he should be paying more attention to the people coming and going around them, if Chloé was nearby, if anyone was listening to them, but he wasn’t.

“Why are you in an apartment?” Eliott asked, and Lucas shrugged, taking a drink. He didn’t like to talk about it, and with his friends, he didn’t have to. They knew already and didn’t bring it up.

“My dad kind of left, and my mom, well, she’s got some problems. She had to go to a… a clinic.” He didn’t elaborate, finishing his drink, and avoiding Eliott’s gaze. “Why don’t you tell me something I need to know about you?” he said instead, changing the subject, and Eliott let him, leaning back against the wall.

“I’m good at drawing.”

Scoffing, Lucas shook his head at Eliott. “After mine, I get, ‘I’m good at drawing’?”

“Okay,” Eliott said with a rueful smile, shoving Lucas’ shoulder gently. “I really thought I was going to hate this new school, since I transfered in so late, but certain people have made it bearable.”

Lucas met his gaze, and for a second, the rest of the party seemed to fall away, leaving just the two of them, leaned against the wall, shoulder to shoulder, and he swallowed as an unbidden thought rose in the back of his mind.

It was gone, though, as Yann appeared, breaking the spell.

“There you are,” he said, clapping Lucas’ shoulder, and Lucas jumped. “Thought maybe you’d ditched the party already.”

“I did that once,” Lucas replied as Arthur and Basile pushed their way through the crowd after Yann. Arthur’s eyes flicked down Eliott, as though surprised. Eliott was glancing between Lucas and his friends, a tiny smile at the corner of his mouth, and it shouldn’t have been funny. “Guys, this is Eliott,” he introduced them slowly, hoping to God they wouldn’t say anything stupid. Even if he and Eliott weren’t really dating, he didn’t need his friends to embarrass him.

“Wow,” Arthur said and Yann elbowed him in the side. “I mean, hi, I’m Arthur.”

“Nice to meet you,” Eliott said, meeting Lucas’ eyes and biting back his grin. Lucas really wished his friends would be cool, but he sincerely doubted it was possible.

“I’m Yann,” Yann said, waving a slight hand.

“Basile!” Basile said eagerly. “Dude, you’re really good-looking.”

Eliott laughed and Lucas wondered if it was possible to disappear, just melt into the floor and pretend this conversation wasn’t happening.

“Yeah, how’d you manage that, Lucas?” Arthur asked, hanging off Yann’s shoulder and arching his eyebrows at Lucas. He was going to kill them all later.

“Just luck, I guess,” he said through gritted teeth, and he felt Eliott’s arm around his shoulder. He tensed for a second, not used to such casual affection.

“It wasn’t luck,” Eliott said simply, fingers grazing over his cheek, and goosebumps erupted on the back of his neck. “He’s gorgeous or have you never looked at him?”

Lucas felt his face going red, especially when Arthur laughed into Yann’s shoulder and Basile stared at him.

“Good job,” Yann only said, and Lucas was torn between embarrassed and amused at how good Eliott was at all this.

“I think you’ve had enough to drink,” Lucas said, grabbing Eliott’s wrist and taking away his drink despite Eliott’s eyebrow raise.

“No, I think I need one more,” Eliott said, smirking at Lucas. “Come with me?”

Lucas was just glad to leave his friends and their encouraging nods behind, following Eliott through the crowd and to the table filled with drinks.

“Your friends are nice,” Eliott said as he surveyed the choices, and Lucas leaned against the table instead.

“They seem to like you.”

Eliott glanced at him. “Is that a bad thing?”

It was considering they weren’t actually dating, but Lucas didn’t say it, turning to Eliott instead. “No,” he said, and Eliott beamed, plucking a beer from the table.

“Good. ‘Cause I liked them.” He met Lucas’ eyes, and for the second time that night, Lucas felt a warm glow wash over him, starting in his stomach and traveling up to the apples of his cheeks.

“You know what a good boyfriend would do,” he said when he could feel his heart thumping in his ribcage for no apparent reason.

“Hmm?” Eliott raised an eyebrow as he cracked the beer open.

Lucas paused a second, gazing up at Eliott, the way he licked his lips, eyes flicking over his face. “He’d ask me to dance.”

Ducking his head, Eliott smiled, stepping closer to Lucas, so their noses were only inches apart, and Lucas’ chin tilted up on its own accord, heart thudding in his chest.

“Do you want to dance?” Eliott asked finally, setting aside the beer he’d just opened as Lucas smiled.

“Sure,” he said, and he let out a tiny breath as Eliott grabbed his hand instead, leading him back to the living room and making them a spot amongst the crowd, moving to the beat. He tried not to think about it, about how close Eliott had been, close enough to kiss him. Because they weren’t dating. They were just pretending. But Lucas could still enjoy it even if it wasn’t real, he decided, grinning at Eliott as Eliott’s hands landed on his shoulders and he let the music wash over him instead.

 

**IV.**

Eliott smiled with his whole face, Lucas thought, watching Eliott laugh on the couch next to him. Their knees were touching, a fact Lucas had been acutely aware of for the last five minutes since Eliott had arrived in the foyer and sat down beside him. He shouldn’t have cared, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the heat where they connected.

Eliott leaned back against the couch, eyes falling on Lucas in that soft way that made Lucas’ heart throb in his chest, just how it shouldn’t.

“You’ve got to have some hidden talents,” he said, nudging Lucas’ ankle with his foot. “You can’t just be good at science.”

“Isn’t that enough?” Lucas wasn’t exactly hiding some amazing art skills behind his drawings of cells.

“There’s lots in that brain of yours,” Eliott said, sounding confident, and Lucas scoffed.

“I barely make it through the day sometimes.”

“We all do,” Eliott agreed. “That’s why I like drawing. I don’t have to think about things when I’m drawing.”

Lucas paused, watching Eliott. It had only been a couple weeks since that fateful night at the party, and Lucas was pretty sure he would never have talked to Eliott otherwise. They never would have been here, hanging out on the couch in the foyer between classes, talking about things like hidden talents and coping mechanisms.

“Piano,” he said quietly, and Eliott’s eyes moved to his. “I took lessons for years but I haven’t played in a long time.”

He couldn’t remember the last person he’d told that to, if he’d ever told any of his friends. It had just been something he’d done as a kid, something his mom wanted him to learn.

“I’ve got a piano,” Eliott said after a minute, and Lucas looked up. “Well, my parents do, at the house. Maybe someday you could play me something.”

Blinking, Lucas wasn’t sure what to say. He hadn’t played in a long time, and the thought of playing _for_ someone was even more terrifying, but at Eliott’s smile, he felt himself nodding.

“Maybe,” he said before he could stop himself. “If you draw me something.”

“I think you might be overestimating my skills,” Eliott said with a laugh, but Lucas was distracted by Chloé coming through the door, her gaze immediately falling on him, and he had felt a sudden desperation, a moment of panic followed by something reckless as he leaned into Eliott and kissed him.

He could feel Eliott’s momentary jerk, surprised, but he didn’t pull away. Lucas let out a breath of relief as Eliott’s hands slid to his face and he opened his mouth to kiss him back.

He should have been thinking about Chloé, wondering if she was still looking, but it all seemed to melt away with Eliott’s lips on his, Eliott’s fingers curling around his ear, fingertips grazing down his neck, and it felt so much better than any girl he’d ever kissed.

His whole body felt warm, soft, like he could stay there forever with Eliott’s lips covering his, sucking gently, following his tongue as Eliott moved back, hand resting against Lucas’ collar bone.

Swallowing, Lucas opened his eyes a second too late, rational thought basking in the afterglow, but he couldn’t let himself, lifting his head quickly.

“Sorry,” he said as Eliott’s hand fell away, and he missed the touch. “Chloé was…” He jerked his head at the door, checking around, but Chloé was nowhere in sight now, and Lucas couldn’t stop the way his heart had climbed into his throat.

Eliott’s tongue darted out to wet his lips as he nodded slowly. “Right,” he said, clearing his throat and taking a breath.

Lucas didn’t check if Eliott was looking at him, sliding back a few inches and staring at the foosball table. He didn’t know what had possessed him to do that, and he didn’t think he’d forget the feeling of Eliott’s lips against his for a long time, but it wasn’t something he was supposed to be thinking about. They were just faking this, for Chloé’s sake.

“Maybe you could write me some poetry,” he said finally, catching Eliott’s confused look. “Since you’re a Literature student.”

Eliott laughed and the tension broke. “I’m a Lit student because I’m shit at math,” he said, and Lucas smiled. He didn’t have to think about the kiss, he told himself, because it meant nothing. His heart fluttered in protest, though, as he shook his head at Eliott.

“You’ve quoted Virginia Woolf at me at least twice in the last two weeks.”

Eliott jerked his head, smiling down at his lap before raising his eyes to Lucas. “Well, as our dear Virginia would say, ‘Arrange whatever pieces come your way.’”

Lucas couldn’t argue with that and he sunk back into the couch instead, wishing he had an answer for the way his heart skipped a beat when Eliott did the same, sliding his knee over until it was touching Lucas’ again.

 

**V.**

Fake dating was a lot like real dating, Lucas thought as he sat across from Eliott at the small café table. Outside, rain drizzled down on the street, the sky grey and dark even this early in the afternoon.

This was what friends did, Lucas reminded himself as he tapped his cookie against his cup. They didn’t have to pretend to date to hang out where no one would see them. They were friends, Lucas thought, watching Eliott stir a whole sugar cube into his coffee.

“Did you mean to order coffee or should we just have asked for sugar water?” Lucas asked, and Eliott laughed.

“If I’m going to drink coffee, I don’t want to be able to taste it.”

“Are you sure you’re French?”

Eliott rolled his eyes. Under the table, he kicked Lucas gently. “According to my birth certificate.”

“We should check just to make sure.” Lucas smiled as Eliott shook his head.

The café was mostly empty, small and cluttered with tiny tables, the only other people a couple by the counter. Lucas wasn’t sure how they’d ended up there, why he’d said yes when Eliott had texted him that he was bored earlier. He’d wanted to come, had been excited to see Eliott’s name pop up on his screen, despite knowing better.

They would have to end this soon enough, this… whatever it was. Pretend relationship. Lucas wasn’t sure he wanted to. He’d gotten used to seeing Eliott, talking with him, being friends. Not that they couldn’t be friends after they ended this thing. They could be friends. It just wouldn’t be the same.

At that thought, Lucas felt his heart sinking, and he shook himself. It had to end. They couldn’t pretend forever.

Setting down his cookie, he pushed his chair back. “I’m gonna go wash my hands,” he said, leaving Eliott at the table and heading for the bathroom in the back.

Standing in front of the mirror, he sighed. This wasn’t real, he told himself firmly, shoving his hair back, smoothing it past his ears and sighing. This was Eliott doing him a huge favor because he’d been the unlucky person to cross Lucas’ path at just the wrong moment. Everything Eliott had done—making friends with his friends, kissing his cheek, touching him at school—that was all for show.

“It’s not real,” Lucas muttered to himself as he washed his hands quickly. They were just friends who were pretending.

Back in the café, Lucas paused at the counter, frowning slightly at the guy standing at their table. He seemed to be talking to Eliott, and Lucas recognized him as the server who had brought the coffee.

The guy had his hip cocked to the side, grinning down at Eliott, flipping his hair from his eyes in a way that made something hot and angry bubble up inside Lucas as he watched. 

The guy laughed at something Eliott said, reaching for his napkin and scribbling something on it with a sly smile. He slid it back onto the table, and Eliott flashed him a smile in return.

Lucas felt his legs moving before he realized, heading for the table as the server left, taking his seat as Eliott didn’t meet his gaze. The napkin was still there between them, turned over so that Lucas couldn’t see what was on it, but he was pretty sure he knew what it was. A phone number. A wink and a smile that made Lucas’ stomach turn over.

“What was that?” he asked, and Eliott had the gall to jerk his shoulders.

“Just making conversation,” he said, eyes darting to the napkin.

“Why don’t you take it?” Lucas asked, and he felt angrier than he had a right to as he sat across from Eliott, his coffee growing cold. “Call him. Make a date.”

Eliott blinked, but even his confusion didn’t dampen the feeling rolling around Lucas’ stomach.

“I don’t want to make a date,” Eliott said finally, and Lucas frowned at him.

“Why not? We’re not dating.” He watched Eliott carefully for his reaction even though it shouldn’t have mattered. It shouldn’t have mattered because they _weren’t_ dating and Eliott could go out with anyone he wanted. As long as Chloé didn’t find out.

That thought didn’t stop the jealousy curling in Lucas’ chest, angry and hot, burning in the back of his throat. He hated this feeling, knowing that Eliott could call that guy and go out with him if he wanted. He didn’t owe Lucas anything.

Eliott’s gaze dropped to the table after a second and he nodded. “We’re not dating,” he agreed, and Lucas swallowed back the lump in his throat.

He shouldn’t have been upset at the thought of Eliott dating someone else, but it hurt. He hadn’t expected it to, but it did.

“Okay, then it’s settled,” Lucas said, and Eliott’s head rose. “We’re done pretending.”

“What?” Eliott asked, frowning at Lucas, and behind him, rivulets of raindrops trickled down the window pane and passing cars splashed water onto the sidewalk.

“You can date whoever you want now. I’ll tell everyone we broke up, and it’ll be over.”

He said it matter-of-factly despite the way his heart sank when Eliott stared at him. It was better this way. He wouldn’t have to be jealous of strangers and they wouldn’t have to lie anymore. They both got what they wanted.

“You’re ending it because some stranger hit on me?” Eliott asked, and Lucas thought he heard a hint of annoyance in his tone.

“We’re not ending anything,” Lucas said simply, pushing his chair back. “It wasn’t real to begin with.”

Eliott sat back in his chair, mouth open as though trying to think of an argument, but there wasn’t an argument. Lucas was right, and he knew it. They both did. That only made it worse, and Lucas grabbed his jacket off the chair, standing up and pulling it on.

He didn’t stop to ask Eliott the question on the tip of his tongue, a question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to, but he bit it back.

“I’ll tell everyone I fucked it up,” he said as he stood there, not meeting Eliott’s eyes as he zipped up his jacket and headed for the front door, stepping outside and into the rain.

 

**VI.**

“I still don’t get it,” Basile said, craning over the heads in the lunchroom as though he might spot Eliott somehow. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Lucas muttered at his tray. “It just didn’t work out.”

Fake breaking up was just as hard as really breaking up, he thought as he sat across Basile and Yann, except it still felt like a lie when Yann gave him that sympathetic look.

“It seemed like he really liked you.”

Lucas didn’t roll his eyes, but he scoffed inside. It had all been an act, a believable one considering how many people had talked to him about it. Daphné had insisted that it probably wasn’t his fault and Manon had given him a lecture on finding the right people.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lucas said instead, poking at his fries. “It’s over.”

He hadn’t talked to Eliott since the café. There was nothing to say, really. The news of the break up had spread as fast as the first rumor had, and Lucas had purposefully avoided anywhere Eliott might be.

It was stupid, he told himself. They could still be friends. After all, they’d never actually been dating in the first place.

Lucas wasn’t sure he could be friends with Eliott, though, not when even thinking about him made his heart throb, caught between anger at himself and disappointment in how he’d ended it. He’d let jealousy get the better of him, but Eliott hadn’t fought him. Not really.

 _Because he was just pretending,_ Lucas thought, sighing at the table. Like he was supposed to be. Pretending to like Eliott, not actually falling for him like an idiot. He admitted it. He liked Eliott, more than just a pretend, more than a fake boyfriend, but Eliott didn’t feel the same. Eliott flirted with servers and kissed Lucas just for show. That was all.

“We should go out this weekend,” Yann said, still watching Lucas, a concerned crease in his brow.

“Yeah!” Basile said enthusiastically, and Arthur gave Lucas’ shoulder a shove.

“It’ll be good for you,” he said, and Lucas cast a doubtful look at all of them. He didn’t really feel like going out, but he knew they wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“I don’t want to get drunk in a park.”

Arthur scoffed beside him. “We have more class than that. We’ll get drunk on a rooftop.”

“Perfect!” Basile said, and they were trying, Lucas had to admit as the conversation devolved into finding the perfect rooftop. Sighing, he couldn’t help noticing Eliott enter the cafeteria, their eyes meeting for a brief second, and Lucas felt his stomach twist, and he looked away a second later.

*

Stars blinked down at him through the gaps in the dark clouds as Lucas sat on the rooftop of Basile’s building—the building with the easiest access and the best view of the Seine, as if that mattered. They weren’t looking at the river, passing around the bottle of vodka.

“Beer isn’t going to get you drunk,” Yann had said when Lucas had given the bottle a doubtful look. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to get drunk, but if it made him forget about Eliott, he would give it a try.

Basile was already slurring his words, halfway through retelling the plot of the third Lord of the Rings movie, not that anyone was listening to him. Arthur was attempting to walk a straight line from the ledge to the door, but he tilted with every step he took.

“Vodka!” Lucas said as he grabbed the bottle from Yann’s hand and coughed as it burned his throat. His stomach was starting to churn already, and he laid down on the dirty ground, staring up at the sky and sighing as he set his hands on his stomach. “I feel like shit.”

Beside him, Yann laughed, peeling the bottle from his hand before it spilled all over. “Vodka is supposed to make you feel nothing.”

“I feel nothing,” Lucas agreed, blinking slowly. He was going to severely regret this tomorrow. “I ruined it with Eliott.”

“You didn’t,” Yann slurred, and he heard the clink of glass as the bottle hit the ground and rolled away. Yann’s head lay down next to his a second later. “Shit happens. People break up.”

“We weren’t even dating,” Lucas said, swallowing the lump in his throat. “We were just faking because Chloé wouldn’t take a hint. And then… And then…” He trailed off, forgetting what he was going to say, not realizing that Yann was staring at him through the dim light.

“You weren’t dating?” Yann asked, sounding confused through the haze in Lucas’ head. “But he liked you.”

“No,” Lucas said, shaking his head, and he immediately regretted it as the stars twisted together, spinning above him. “No, no, no. _I_ liked him, and he was pretending. Like I asked him to. ‘Cause he’s a good guy. And I’m a piece of shit.”

“No, no,” Yann said, pointing at the sky. “You’re my best friend, and you’re an idiot.”

“Yeah,” Lucas agreed, then paused. “Hey, wait.”

“You liked a guy who liked you enough to pretend to date you.”

That didn’t even make sense, Lucas thought, and even if he hadn’t been drunk, it wouldn’t have made sense.

“He did it because…” Frowning, Lucas watched the red blinking lights of a plane cross the sky high above them. Why had Eliott agreed to it? He hadn’t known Lucas when he’d said yes. And he’d kept it up even when they could have stopped it. He hadn’t gotten anything out of it.

“And then this thing called Grond shows up,” Basile said from where he sat. “But only if you have the Extended Edition.”

Lucas ignored him, staring up at the stars. It didn’t make sense. Eliott could have said no. He could have told Lucas to deal with his lie, with Chloé on his own, but he hadn’t. He’d smiled at Lucas and agreed. He’d asked questions about his life, gotten to know his friends, hung out with him when he didn’t have to.

All things friends did, Lucas told himself, and he turned as he heard a snore in his ear. Yann was asleep. 

Fuck. He had ruined everything. He’d pushed Eliott away, like he pushed everyone away. It had been right in front of his nose and he’d told Eliott to go date other people. He should have told Eliott to date him, that they should stop pretending and do it for real. Make out on couches and dance at parties and meet each other after class with kisses on the cheek. He wanted that. He wanted all that.

Digging his phone from his pocket, he pulled up Eliott’s messages, fingers fumbling as he typed in a message and hit send, the phone tumbling from his hand onto the ground as his eyes closed and he sighed, listening to Basile’s rambling and Yann’s snoring in his ear.

*

Lucas didn’t even remember going home, but he woke on Sunday in his own bed with a splitting headache and refused to move the rest of the day. He didn’t even bother to check his phone to make sure Yann and everyone else had made it home okay. He’d find out on Monday, he decided as he buried himself under the covers and ignored Mika knocking on the door to tell him Manon had made muffins.

He didn’t drag himself out of bed until the next morning, standing under the water from the shower for too long, and he was late getting to school, sliding into his seat next to Imane and ignoring the way she shook her head.

Arthur was already there, and he looked about as good as Lucas felt, and he flashed Lucas a knowing smile.

Classes dragged on, and Lucas wished he had just skipped and stayed home. At least then he could feel bad alone. Even though the hangover was finished, there was still a pit in his stomach as he headed for the foyer to find the guys and make sure they’d all survived the weekend.

He almost ran into Eliott outside the classroom, too busy watching the floor. He recognized Eliott’s ankles first, the gap between his shoes and his jeans rolled up, and he stopped short before he hit him.

Looking up, he felt his stomach turn over, the pit widening, and it definitely wasn’t part of the hangover. Eliott stood before him, hair messy but his eyes bright, as though he’d at least gotten a decent night’s sleep.

“Hey,” Eliott greeted him, and Lucas wasn’t sure why he was talking to him. 

“Hi,” he replied slowly.

For a second, no one spoke. There were a million things Lucas could say: apologies and excuses and truths that might hurt if he said them. Biting his lip, he wondered why Eliott was even here. He had no reason to be.

Eliott shifted finally, pulling out his phone. “I was wondering if you could explain this,” he said, and Lucas frowned as Eliott showed him the screen. It was his messages, and he read the words written there, words he’d written in a drunken haze on Saturday night.

**M sorry. U lick you.**  
Please. Talk me.  
VODKAAAAA 

Grimacing, Lucas felt a deep surge of embarrassment. Eliott probably thought he was a complete dumbass. And he wasn’t completely wrong either.

“Fuck,” he muttered as Eliott took the phone back, tucking it in his pocket. “I’m sorry. I was really drunk and I was thinking about you.”

Eliott nodded slowly, watching him, and God, Lucas wished he’d stayed home today. He was never drinking vodka again.

“What does ‘u lick you’ mean?”

His cheeks grew hot and Lucas looked away. “It was supposed to be, ‘I like you’ but apparently it autocorrected.”

This wasn’t how he’d wanted to tell Eliott. In fact, he’d planned on never telling him, never facing the inevitable rejection that was surely coming as they stood in the hallway.

“You like me,” Eliott said slowly. “You like me or you drunk like me?”

“What’s the difference?” Lucas asked before he could stop himself.

“People say things they don’t mean when they’re drunk.” Eliott watched him as Lucas frowned.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said finally, raising his gaze to Eliott, bracing himself for the rejection. “Because it wasn’t real. It was pretend, and you were just pretending. You don’t like me.”

It hurt to say, but they had to clear the air. Lucas didn’t want to feel like this forever, this ache deep in his chest every time he thought about Eliott.

“I never said that.”

At Eliott’s words, Lucas paused, frowning at him. There was no trace of a joke on Eliott’s face, but he didn’t understand.

“You didn’t even know me,” he said slowly. “I got you into this mess and you were just being nice.”

Eliott shook his head after a second, and Lucas’ heart skipped a beat as Eliott took a step towards him.

“I knew who you were,” he said quietly. “Before the party. I’d seen you. I asked Imane for your name. I thought you were cute.” Lucas stared and Eliott smiled slightly. He couldn’t let himself hope just yet. “And then you asked me to be your fake boyfriend, and I didn’t want to say no.”

“Really?” Lucas asked, unsure. He hadn’t even known then that he liked Eliott, aside from how obviously attractive he was.

“Yes, really,” Eliott said. “I was hoping maybe we would hang out, get to know each other, and you might want to go out for real.”

Lucas wasn’t sure what to say. His heart was jumping for joy, but he couldn’t believe it. “So you didn’t want to date that server?”

Eliott laughed, unexpected, shaking his head. “No. I didn’t even take the napkin.”

Lucas couldn’t do anything but exhale as Eliott stepped up to him, hands on his face, tilting his chin up, and his whole body was tingling as he stared into Eliott’s eyes. This was really happening, even after he’d been a complete idiot. Eliott was still here, gazing into his eyes with a softness and a warmth that made Lucas’ toes curl.

“I should have just told you I liked you. We could have saved ourselves a lot of time.”

“I should have too,” Lucas said, eyes darting to Eliott’s lips. “Because I do. I like you.”

Eliott’s mouth curled into a smile that Lucas only glimpsed for a second before Eliott kissed him, and it was just like before, only this time, it was so much better.

*

FIN.


End file.
